Nearing three years since his first and solely look for Liverpool’s first workforce, 20-year-old winger Harvey Blair is being given an prolonged likelihood in pre-season.
Liverpool are a week-and-a-half into their first pre-season underneath Arne Slot, and have now seen Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson return to the fold.
They are going to be joined at a later date by the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.
For now, although, Slot is operating the rule over quite a few children as he maintains a energetic tempo to his first periods as head coach.
A type of is academy winger Blair, who stays concerned with the primary workforce whereas others seem to have rejoined the youth ranks for pre-season.
The likes of Tom Hill, James Norris and even Jayden Danns haven’t been concerned in each session after their preliminary call-up, however Blair has stayed with the squad.
It comes with Slot lacking all however one in every of his senior forwards, after all, however it means that the Dutchman and his workers have seen sufficient to determine to maintain the winger round.
Blair was amongst these noticed on the AXA Coaching Centre on Tuesday morning as Szoboszlai, Robertson and Vitezslav Jaros rejoined their team-mates.
With Gakpo, Nunez and Diaz all anticipated to overlook out on the tour of the USA – and Jota dealing with a late return following his time at Euro 2024 with Portugal – the likelhood is that Blair is amongst those that journey.
This comes virtually three years on from his shock debut for the primary workforce, when Jurgen Klopp began him within the Carabao Cup fourth-round conflict with Preston in October 2021.
Then solely 18, Blair began on the fitting wing with Takumi Minamino on the left and Divock Origi up entrance, earlier than being changed by Conor Bradley within the second half.
He’s but so as to add to his tally of senior appearances, and quite a few unlucky accidents have seen his alternatives restricted at academy stage.
Final summer season, as he cut up his time coaching with the primary workforce and the U21s, he attracted mortgage curiosity from golf equipment in each England and Scotland.
However a meniscus tear, which required surgical procedure, dominated out a transfer, whereas in January, amid additional curiosity from Denmark and Belgium, ongoing health issues noticed him keep on Merseyside.
Blair is more likely to have suitors once more this summer season, however there may be after all an opportunity that his highly effective, pacy model of attacking soccer sees him earn a shock place underneath Slot.
